travel guide

Your Guide to the NoDa Neighborhood of Charlotte

What does Noda mean?

North Davidson is the main street of the neighborhood, so the abbreviation of that is NoDa! It is in the northern section of the city and one of my favorite neighborhoods! The main area of NoDa is walkable but parking can be a headache so prepare yourself to either pay to park or hunt for a free spot for awhile on the weekends.

NoDa is a very artsy neighborhood with hipster vibes and several murals. The neighborhood has changed a lot over time but has still maintained a lot of its character. Previously it was home to the largest concentration of textile mills in the US and now many of those factories are apartments. The Lynx rail line connects NoDa to Uptown, Southend, and other popular areas of Charlotte now as well.

NoDa Mural + Jeni's Ice Cream

Adventures and Ales Top Recommendations:

Salud Cerveceria and Salud Beer Shop: Brewery upstairs, beer bar and bottle shop downstairs. Each floor has a distinct atmosphere so be sure to check out both!

Idlewild: A unique cocktail bar with no menu—you tell them the types of things you like and they craft something for you. This is a fantastic spot with great vibes. Reservations recommended.

Fairweather: A cute little bar for cocktails with a small food menu. They are the sister restaurant to Idlewild. Oysters are a large menu focus and they are just $1 on Mondays! Reservations recommended.

Ever Andalo: A delicious Italian restaurant! I highly recommend reservations but you can also throw your name on the list and grab a drink from somewhere nearby.

NoDa Company Store: This bar has a great outdoor patio and delicious sangria to enjoy on it.

The Chamber by Wooden Robot: The NoDa location of the popular Southend brewery. They have more farmhouse-style ales and a rooftop deck.

Divine Barrel Brewing: Another great brewery, they are slightly up the road from the main hustle and bustle of NoDa but still walkable. They host frequent events as well!

Heist Brewery: Delicious brewery food and great beers!

Sabor: Counter-service delicious Latin Street food!

NoDa Brewing: NoDa’s Tryon Street is not walkable from the central NoDa area but definitely worth checking out! They’ve got a large outdoor space and a wide variety of brews.

The OG NoDa

The OG NoDa

Other ideas:

Protagonist Clubhouse: A nano-brewery with lots of guest taps and sleek vibes.

Haberdish: A popular Southern-style restaurant with a lively atmosphere. Reservations are limited so plan ahead! Do note they offer brunch on weekdays, but not on weekends.

Billy Jack’s Shack: A dive bar with tasty bar food like fried mac nuggs and sliders, with brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cabo Fish Taco: Mexican-style restaurant with solid tacos

Figo36: An Italian restaurant and wine bar. They have a very pretty space and tasty eats.  

The Dog Bar: Exactly as it sounds! A bar where you can bring your dog to run around off-leash. There is an annual membership of $10 and you need to fill out registration forms for your pup, then you can hit the bar while they make new friends!

Reigning Doughnuts: A little doughnut window behind Growler’s with a variety of flavors

Growler's Pourhouse: A beer bar with 14 taps and an accompanying food menu.

Jeni’s Ice Cream: Located next to Wooden Robot, the ever-popular ice cream chain never disappoints

Popbar: Another dessert option, Popbar offers gelato on a stick!

Neighborhood Theater: Local music venue

Goodyear House: A great restaurant with a killer outdoor patio. Reservations recommended.

Bar a Vins: A wine bar with a small snack menu. As a forewarning if you get a bottle they will charge you an additional $10 to drink it onsite even though you are buying it from them.

NoDa Company Store

NoDa Company Store

The Belmont Area

Belmont and Noda are super close together and easily walk or bike-able between the two areas. Be sure to check out these spots in Belmont while you’re exploring NoDa:

The OG NoDa Brewing: NoDa’s original location specializing in sour and barrel aged beers. A smaller, funkier taproom than their newer location on Tryon.

Free Range Brewing: A farmhouse-style brewery with a large event space and chill vibes.

Rhino Market & Deli: A great spot to grab breakfast or lunch with a variety of sandwiches, salads, and soups. They’ve also got beer and coffee.

Amelie’s French Bakery & Cafe: Eventually this ever-popular bakery will be relocating from their original location, but Amelie’s produces some of the best baked goods in North Carolina!

The Hobbyist: A coffee shop, bottle shop, and beer bar combo. Especially nice when the weather is nice and the garage door is open!

Abari: A retro game bar with 9 craft beer taps, cocktails, and spirits.

Optimist Hall: A large food hall with a plethora of options to choose from. Papi Queso and The Dumpling Lady are my favorites!

Fonta Flora’s Charlotte taproom is located in Optimist Hall and definitely worth checking out! They’ve got fantastic wild ales in particular.

Birdsong Brewery: A bit further south but it is still easily walkable from other spots in NoDa! They are solar-powered, make some really tasty beers, and offer free peanuts!

The Chamber by Wooden Robot

The Chamber by Wooden Robot

What’s your favorite spot in Noda? Let me know in the comments!